An elderly woman had to be rescued from a nursing home in the early hours of Saturday morning after a fire broke out at the home.

The woman was pulled to safety by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus from the ground floor lounge of the home in Main Road, Gidea Park on Saturday July 23 at 3.25am.

Crews from the London Ambulance service also attended where the woman was taken to Queen’s Hospital in Rom Valley Way, Romford suffering from smoke inhalation.

Five residents were evacuated before the fire brigade arrived.

Ten firefighters from Romford fire station managed to bring the fire under control by 4.02am.

The fire damaged part of a communal room on the ground floor of the building.